Filming

The Azure Window at Ras-id-Dwerja, on Gozo, was the site of the Dothraki wedding in season one.

Principal photography for the first season was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010;[96] the primary
location was the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[97] Exterior scenes in Northern Ireland
were filmed at Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains (standing in for Vaes Dothrak); Castle
Ward (Winterfell); Saintfield Estates (the Winterfell godswood); Tollymore Forest (outdoor
scenes); Cairncastle (the execution site); the Magheramorne quarry (Castle Black); and Shane's
Castle (the tourney grounds).[98] Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, was also used in the original pilot
episode for scenes at Winterfell.[99] The producers initially considered filming the entire series in
Scotland, but decided on Northern Ireland because of the availability of studio space and tax credits.
[100]

The walled city of Dubrovnik stood in for King's Landing in season two.

The first season's southern scenes were filmed in Malta, a change in location from the pilot
episode's Moroccan sets.[96] The city of Mdina was used for King's Landing.[101] Filming also took place
at Fort Manoel (representing the Sept of Baelor); at the Azure Window on the island of Gozo (the
Dothraki wedding site); and at San Anton Palace, Fort Ricasoli, Fort St. Angelo and St. Dominic
monastery (all used for scenes in the Red Keep).[98] Filming of the second season's southern scenes
shifted from Malta to Croatia, where the city of Dubrovnik and nearby locations allowed exterior
shots of a walled, coastal medieval city. The Walls of Dubrovnik and Fort Lovrijenac were used for
scenes in King's Landing, though exteriors of some local buildings in the series, for example, the
Red Keep and the Sept of Baelor, are computer generated.[102] The island of Lokrum, the St. Dominic
monastery in the coastal town of Trogir, the Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik, and the Dubac quarry (a
few kilometers east) were used for scenes set in Qarth. Scenes set north of the Wall, in the
Frostfangs, and at the Fist of the First Men, were filmed in November 2011 in Iceland on
the Vatnajökull glacier near Smyrlabjörg, the Svínafellsjökull glacier near Skaftafell, and
the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik on Höfðabrekkuheiði.[98][103] Filming also occurred at the harbor
in Ballintoy, Northern Ireland.[104]
Ballintoy Harbour was Lordsport on the Iron Islands.

Third-season production returned to Dubrovnik, with the Walls of Dubrovnik, Fort Lovrijenac, and
nearby locations again used for scenes in King's Landing and the Red Keep.[105] Trsteno Arboretum,
a new location, is the garden of the Tyrells in King's Landing. The third season also returned to
Morocco (including the city of Essaouira) to film Daenerys's scenes in Essos.[106] Dimmuborgir and
the Grjótagjá cave in Iceland were used as well.[103] One scene, with a live bear, was filmed in Los
Angeles.[107] The production used three units (Dragon, Wolf and Raven) filming in parallel, six
directing teams, 257 cast members and 703 crew members.[108] The fourth season returned to
Dubrovnik and included new locations, including Diocletian's Palace in Split, Klis Fortress north of
Split, Perun quarry east of Split, the Mosor mountain range and Baška Voda farther south.
[109]
 Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used for the fight between Brienne and the Hound.[103] The
fifth season added Seville, Spain, used for scenes of Dorne, and Córdoba.[110]
The sixth season, which began filming in July 2015, returned to Spain and filmed
in Navarra, Guadalajara, Seville, Almeria, Girona and Peniscola.[111] Filming also returned to
Dubrovnik, Croatia.[112] The filming of the seven episodes of season seven began on August 31,
2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast, with other filming in Iceland, Northern Ireland and many locations
in Spain,[113] including Seville, Cáceres, Almodovar del Rio, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo.
[114]
 Filming continued until the end of February 2017, as necessary, to ensure winter weather in some
European locations.[115] Filming for season eight began in October 2017 and concluded in July 2018.
[116][117]
 New filming locations included Moneyglass and Saintfield in Northern Ireland for "The Long
Night" battle scenes.[118]
Effect on locations
Northern Ireland Screen, a UK government agency financed by Invest NI and the European
Regional Development Fund, helped fund Game of Thrones.[119] Tourism Ireland has a Game of
Thrones-themed marketing campaign similar to New Zealand's Tolkien-related advertising.[120]
[121]
 According to First Minister Arlene Foster, the series has given Northern Ireland the most publicity
in its history apart from The Troubles.[122] The production of Game of Thrones and other TV series
boosted Northern Ireland's creative industries, contributing to an estimated 12.4 percent growth in
arts, entertainment and recreation jobs between 2008 and 2013 (compared with 4.3 percent in the
rest of the UK during the same period).[123] After filming had finished, HBO converted its filming
locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions to be opened in 2019.[124] By 2019, 350,000
visitors, or one sixth of all tourists, came to Northern Ireland annually because of Game of Thrones.
[125]

Tourism organizations elsewhere reported increases in bookings after their locations appeared
in Game of Thrones. Between 2014 and 2016, Hotels.com reported hotel bookings increased by 285
percent in Iceland and 120 percent in Dubrovnik.[126] In 2016, bookings doubled in Ouarzazate,
Morocco, the location of Daenerys' season three scenes.[127] Dubrovnik also saw an increase in
overnight tourist stays after episodes aired.[128] However, the increase in tourism driven by the series
—estimated to be responsible for half of its annual increase over many years—led to concerns about
"over-tourism" and its mayor imposing limits on tourist numbers in the city.[112][129] Following the series
finale, HBO announced in April 2019 a new exhibition and tourist attraction containing show props
and set pieces.[130] The attraction, titled Game of Thrones Studio Tour, will be located at former show
filming location Linen Mill Studios outside Belfast.[131] Studies showed that the series had an overall
positive economic impacts for both Northern Ireland and Dubrovnik.[132][133] Despite the positive
economic results, some academics note the impact and damage from Game of Thrones–related
tourist activities could have on historical sites and other locations of cultural value.[